Gravitational collapse and equilibrium conditions of a toroidal vortex with thermal pressure

We found the equilibrium conditions for a self-gravitating toroidal vortex by taking thermal pressure into account. These conditions are shown to significantly differ from those for a disk or a sphere. The evolution of a thin vortex turns it into a compact vortex that loses mechanical stability for low masses at a polytropic index γ<4/3 but retains stability for sufficiently high masses and densities determined by the velocity circulation in the vortex.     

Properties of star formation in the spiral arms of barred galaxies

It is assumed that the two-fold disc-wide symmetry of spirals is caused by density waves, but also the potential of a bar component may have a significant influence on structural properties. The strength of the bar component appears to be anti-correlated with the degree of symmetry of star-forming regions in the spiral arms (Rozas et al., 1998). We present new results of R and Hα surface photometry of a sample of bright barred spirals. A photometric decompositon of the galaxy components is carried out in order to make a more accurate measurement of the strength of the bar and its interrelation to gas and stars in the disc. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radiative association in Li+H revisited: the role of quasi-bound states

The role in radiative association of narrow resonances arising from quasi-bound levels is examined. For the rate coefficient the contribution from such levels is readily calculated in terms of the Einstein A -coefficient from bound rovibrational levels generated using a suitable alternative boundary condition. By locating systematically all the quasi-bound levels, an enhancement by more than an order of magnitude of the rate coefficient for Li(2s) + H(1s) association above about 600 K is obtained. The effect on the LiH abundance in the early Universe is no more than an increase of a factor of 3 for limited ranges of values of the redshift. For the Li(2p) state the effect of narrow resonances appears to have been taken into account in previous calculations.     

Development-Conservation Dilemma in the NilgiriMountains of South India

The Nilgiri Mountains of south India is considered unique by anthropologists, geologists, climatologists, botanists as well as tourists. It has remained a subject of constant study and research over the last two centuries. Man-nature balance had continued undisturbed in the Nilgiris for thousands of years until the early 19th century when it became a British colony attracting, in due course, various developmental activities. Subsequently, the Nilgiris and its popular hill stations emerged as favourite places for the British population in India for rest and recuperation, game and for raising commercial plantations. In the process, the traditional indigenous crops were replaced by “English“ vegetables and the natural forests gave way to commercial plantations of coffee, tea and other exotic species of trees.     

Gamma暴余辉的相对论流体动力学演化和光变曲线

本文首先对Gamma暴的观测特性和物理过程作了简要的介绍 ,而后 ,对火球模型的相对论流体动力学机制和同步加速辐射机制作了论述。主要工作是 :具体研究火球所抛出壳层的相对论流体动力学演化 ,应用同步加速辐射机制 ,通过由共动坐标系到实验室坐标系的相对论变换 ,得到Gamma暴余辉的光变曲线。对于火球壳层的不同的动力学演化规律 ,各向同性或各向异性的壳层抛出形式 ,以及不同的外部介质环境 ,所得到的光变曲线都各不相同。通过对这些不同的光变曲线的比较 ,明确了Gamma暴余辉的整体的物理演化图象以及各种物理过程在Gamma暴余辉演化过程中所起的作用 ,并从余辉演化的方面进一步理解了Gamma暴的物理本质     

The Kaidun meteorite: Clasts of alkaline‐rich fractionated materials

Abstract— Clasts of alkaline (the second find in meteorites) and subalkaline rocks were found in the Kaidun meteorite. One of them (#d4A) is a large crystal of albite with inclusions of fluorapatite, arfvedsonite, aenigmatite, and wilkinsonite. The two latter minerals were previously unknown in meteorites. Another clast (#d[3–5]D) has a melt crystallization texture of mainly feldspar (oligoclase) composition and contains relict grains of both high‐Ca and low‐Ca pyroxene and fluorapatite. The mineralogical characteristics of these clasts suggest a genetic relationship and an origin from the same parent body. The textural and mineralogical characteristics of the clasts indicate origin by extensive igneous differentiation. Such processes most likely took place in a rather large differentiated body. The material of clast #d(3–5)D is similar in some mineralogical respects to basaltic shergottites.     

Development and Extension of Seawater Desalination by Reverse Osmosis

Seawater desalination has been people‘s fond dream since ancient times,the dream is now becoming a reality.This paper presents a brief development history of reverse osmosis.Much attention was paid to innovative development in mebranes,modules.equipments and applied technology,including asymmetric and composite membranes,spiral-wound element and hollow fiber module,energy recovery equipments and different technological processes.The extension of reverse osmosis,such as desalination,pre-concentration,integrated processes and nanofiltration,is also briefly mentioned.     

Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope observations of an M2.8 flare: Insights into the initiation of a flare–coronal mass ejection event

We present the first observations of a solar flare with the GMRT. An M2.8 flare observed at 1060 MHz with the GMRT on 17 November 2001 was associated with a prominence eruption observed at 17 GHz by the Nobeyama radioheliograph and the initiation of a fast partial halo CME observed with the LASCO C2 coronagraph. Towards the start of the eruption, we find evidence for reconnection above the prominence. Subsequently, we find evidence for rapid growth of a vertical current sheet below the erupting arcade, which is accompanied by the flare and prominence eruption.     

A weak outburst of the millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 in October 1996 as detected from RXTE slew data

Analysis of the RXTE slew data in October 1996 revealed a weak X-ray burst from the millisecond pulsar SAX J 1808.4-3658. The 3–20-keV energy spectrum of the source can be described by a power law with an index of 2.0 and a(3-to 20 keV) luminosity of ～1.4×10³⁵ erg s^?1 (the distance to the source was taken to be 2.5 kpc). Because of the short exposure time, we failed to detect weak pulsations at a frequency of 401 Hz in the source. The (2σ) upper limit of the pulse fraction is ～13%.     

Coronal Holes and Icosahedral Symmetry

The study of the expansion of the solar wind out of a system of coronal holes is continued. To this end, we consider the numerical integration of partial differential equations for problems with icosahedral symmetry, in general. First, employing Weyl theory, orbifold coordinates are introduced. Second, the icosahedral coordinates are discussed in detail. Third, following an analysis of the properties of these coordinates and the derivation of a few expressions useful for grid construction, various alternatives for the distribution of lattice points required for numerical integration are considered. A comparison of these numerical grids motivates the choice of a specific grid optimized for the numerical integration carried out in the accompanying paper by Kalish et al.(2002). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.